Hand press

[ButtonLady]

I am following this thread with great interest, although we're getting into territory I normally leave to my machinist.

mcguyver42, I really like your calipers!  Mine are cheap imported digital crap.  My husband tried to teach me how to use his manual set... and gave up in frustration (in my defense, math was involved).

 

[seabee]

HI,  I forgot about is post. At 76, I do that a lot.  I setup my arbor press like the following.  Used a steel plate 3/8 x 6 x 6 to make a table on the press. I also pined the plate using the small hole in the press.  Than used a 6x6 cutting board, used a scroll saw to cut the hole for the die base. I than used roll pins in the four corner of the to hold it in place on the plate, no movement.  For the ram, I took the die handle and cut it to 2" long.  Drilled a hole in the end of the ram, installed a set screw.  I like this setup.  I hope this will help.

Howard

[ButtonLady]

To the man who started it all...  thanks, seabee!

 

9 hours ago, seabee said:

For the ram, I took the die handle and cut it to 2" long.  Drilled a hole in the end of the ram, installed a set screw.

On a semi-related note, the manufacturer of the machine I sell calls this piece a "pin" (see marked photo below):

Some customers call it a piston.  Would it more properly be called a ram?  (apologies for the hijack)

[fredk]

13 hours ago, ButtonLady said:

I am following this thread with great interest, although we're getting into territory I normally leave to my machinist.

mcguyver42, I really like your calipers!  Mine are cheap imported digital crap.  My husband tried to teach me how to use his manual set... and gave up in frustration (in my defense, math was involved).

Don't diss yourself over that. I use a cheapo digital caliper as well. Its good enough to tell me which ball park I'm playing in. My expensive superior ones are in a tool box, unloved

I've always called that part the ram

[ButtonLady]

The El-Cheapo calipers are... okay, but they eat batteries like crazy (which are not cheap).

 

5 hours ago, fredk said:

I've always called that part the ram

Thanks!  Just updated the website description.

 

[mcguyver42]

Well like fredk says,  I have measuring equipment that would curl your hair, inside and outside micrometers that read to 1 10,000th. (.0001) snap guages and dial indicators, antique German Helios calipers and depth guages in velvet lined wood cases, on and on.  That stuff rarely if ever gets used.  A cheap 1" mike and 6" caliper with direct read scales is really all most of us need.  Truth is, the human hand can easily discern ten thousandth's (.010) of an inch movement which is more than adequate for most everyday things until you start getting into high speed moving parts and then things tighten up a little but not much more.